Managing the highway system

Key points

With a focus on increased efficiency and strategic improvements, highway system management can alleviate congestion problems, give travelers more options, make trips more predictable, and increase safety.

The Twin Cities region’s freeway system is equipped with extensive traffic monitoring capabilities and traffic flow infrastructure, such as the ramp meters at freeway entrances used to manage the rate of cars entering the expressways and to avoid bottlenecks.

To alleviate congestion, the Twin Cities is also using expressway lanes reserved during peak travel times for transit, other high-occupancy vehicles and drivers who pay tolls; electronic toll collection on those routes; bus travel on freeway shoulder lanes to give transit a travel-time advantage in stand-still traffic; and targeted investments in low-cost but high-benefit construction projects.

Smart approaches and policies

Build on the Twin Cities’ expertise and infrastructure for active traffic management and intelligent transportation systems to better manage peak-hour traffic and avoid as much as possible the bottlenecks and stop-and-go shock waves that undermine travel flow.

Increase the network of managed lanes – or high-occupancy toll and transit lanes – as called for in the Met Council’s plans for the Twin Cities area freeway system.

For any strategic highway expansion in the future, focus on low-cost but high-benefit projects that will improve traffic flow not only where the capacity is increased but also for other congested segments of the broader highway system.

Incorporate a “complete streets” approach into road improvements and any new construction, using design principles that strive to integrate transit, pedestrians and bicyclists into the highway system in ways that promote safety and access.

Change state law to relieve law enforcement officials and public agencies from liability when removing disabled vehicles or spilled cargo from highways without the owner’s knowledge or consent.